Many areas around the country and in particular Columbus, Ohio, have drainage problems causing wet basements. Moisture causes mold and mildew growth as well as cracks in the foundation. Gutters sometimes cannot handle large amounts of rain overflow and drip water near the foundation. Overhanging eaves address this problem by directing rainwater further away from a building. Overflowing gutters create trenches where soil has washed away under the building eaves due to roof runoff spillage. Some homes or buildings have erosion problems or ground with the grade running to the house requiring backfill with dirt and landscaping to cause the water to drain away from the building to keep the basement or crawl space dry. Hauling dirt and moving it against the building to create a slope does not always fix a wet basement. In addition, after getting the proper slope to make the water to run from the house or building, the area typically requires grass or plant landscaping to make the area more attractive.
What is needed is a modular landscaped drain that is aesthetically pleasing. There is a need for a modular drain system that resembles landscaping.
The advantage of the invention over present systems is that it both keeps rain water away from a basement or crawlspace while providing a permanent, attractive transition from the side of the house to the ground. Other advantages include not replacing mulch every season, eliminating weeds and insects that invade mulch and or rock. When cleaning the landscape areas after mowing the grass, mulch or small rocks will be blown by a blower into the lawn. By having such landscaping elements permanently affixed to a surface, the mulch, pebbles, rock, slate, and the like, would stay in place. A further advantage is that the units are sectional, so a section could be removed for planting a flower, shrubs, trees, fountains, large rock, and the like, or only placed where the owner desires. The invention could be installed with a new build or later, and could be changed as the homeowner desired. The pre-manufactured landscape modules lowering maintenance cost for edging, weeding, mulching and the like.